Sahib Thind, President of the Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation, thanks the Federal Government for setting a date for this apology. The Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation, a human rights non-profit organization, has been seeking an official Parliamentary apology for this sad chapter in Canadian history for over two decades and via many petitions. The foundation has remained steadfast in its resolve for an official apology in the House of Commons.

The Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation worked to successfully obtain an apology from the Government of British Columbia (May 23rd, 2008), and on March 25th 2014 worked with the Punjab State Assembly in India for a unanimous resolution to ask the Government of India to encourage the Canadian Government to offer a formal apology in Parliament.

“It is time for us to file away a sad chapter in Canadian history,” said Mr. Thind.

“Today’s announcement is the announcement of a date our organization has been working towards for decades. We never asked for any compensation, and single-mindedly kept the goal to be the official apology made in Parliament, and written into Hansard. To the tens of thousands of South Asian Canadians across the land who we represent in this cause, and the many who have worked with us to seek this apology, we say “thank you” for your resolve”. Mr. Thind added that he is pleased the Prime Minister has "kept his promise made personally to me and over 100,000 attendees at our Melas (fairs) in 2014 and 2015".

Related Media:

“Renewed Call for Komagata Maru Apology In Commons”:

""In 2002, the Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation of Canada initiated a petition calling for a respectful apology from the Canadian government. Successive governments, including the Conservative government refused to do so. In 2014, attending Mela Gadri Babian Da, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pre-election commitment to the community that he would make a formal apology for the Komagata Maru incident in the House of Commons within the first 90 days of a Liberal Government’s mandate." - The Voice Newspaper, Feb 3, 2016

""An apology made outside of parliament by any political spokesperson, whether they're the Prime Minister or any other Member of Parliament, is a political statement," Amandeep Singh told the CBC. Singh is part of the Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation, the group that arranged the Prime Minister's visit in 2008." - CBC News, May 25, 2015